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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan was one of our favorite airline loyalty programs since the founding of the AwardWallet Blog in 2016. But now that Alaska has revamped the program as Atmos Rewards … we actually like it even better. The program has a lot of potential, due to the excellent elite status benefits, high earning rates for miles flown, and the high value potential when you redeem points.

In this guide, we'll cover every aspect of the program. This includes the best ways to earn points, how to achieve elite status, and all the best Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards redemption opportunities.

Overview of Alaska Airlines

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the carrier has additional hubs in Anchorage (ANC), Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PDX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), and since merging with Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu (HNL).

Introducing Atmos Rewards wording in front of a sunset view of the Colosseum
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska's international network includes destinations throughout Canada, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the Pacific. And following its merger with Hawaiian Airlines, its reach now extends much farther, including destinations such as Tokyo (NRT), Seoul (ICN), Sydney (SYD), and Rome (FCO).

Alaska Airlines route map
Alaska Airlines route map. Screenshot of FlightConnections.com

Still, Alaska's domestic network isn't as extensive as those of larger U.S. carriers like American, Delta, United, and Southwest, particularly outside the West Coast.

How To Earn Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points

Beyond flying, you can build your Atmos Rewards balance through Alaska's co-branded credit cards, transfer partners, shopping and dining programs, travel partners, and more.

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards co-branded credit cards

Bank of America issues three Atmos Rewards credit cards: the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card, Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card, and premium Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card. All three offer welcome bonuses, bonus points on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, and additional perks when flying with Alaska.

The Atmos Ascent Visa Card and Atmos Visa Business Card also offer the opportunity to earn Alaska's Companion Fare each year after meeting an annual spending requirement. The Companion Fare lets you book an eligible companion ticket for $99 plus taxes and fees starting at $23. The Atmos Summit Visa Card offers a Global Companion Award and additional premium travel benefits.

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card
Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card
Welcome Bonus: Limited-time online offer – 70,000 bonus points. Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, spend $2,500 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card
Welcome Bonus: Limited-time online offer – 70,000 bonus points. Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, spend $2,500 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual Fee:$95
Show moreWhy We Like ItEarning Rates
The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card offers cardholders 3 points per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases and 2 points per dollar on everyday purchases like gas, local transit including ride share, cable, and select streaming services. Other benefits include an annual Companion Fare™ of $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $6K in the previous anniversary year, priority boarding, a free checked bag, a 10% reward bonus on points for Bank of America account holders, and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ Membership.
  • Earn unlimited 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
  • Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
  • Earn unlimited 1 point for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card
Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card
Welcome Bonus Limited-time online offer: Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card
Welcome Bonus Limited-time online offer: Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual Fee:$70 for the company and $25 per card
Show moreWhy We Like ItEarning Rates
Earn Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary by spending $6,000 or more on purchases annually. Get a free checked bag for you and up to 6 guests when flights are purchased with the card, saving $70 per person on round-trip fares. Earn 3x points on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2x points on eligible gas station & EV charging station, shipping and transit purchases, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. Enjoy 20% back on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines inflight purchases, $100 off Alaska Lounge+ membership, and no foreign transaction fees.
  • Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
  • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
Welcome Bonus Limited-time online offer – 80,000 bonus points. Get 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award with this offer. To qualify, spend $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
Welcome Bonus Limited-time online offer – 80,000 bonus points. Get 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award with this offer. To qualify, spend $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual Fee:$395
Show moreWhy We Like ItEarning Rates
A standout pick for frequent Alaska and Hawaiian flyers, with a strong welcome offer of 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award, annual companion awards, lounge and Wi‑Fi passes, and valuable elite-status perks. The card also makes travel easier with a free checked bag, preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees, and accelerated earning on airline, dining, and international purchases.
  • 3X points on eligible dining, foreign transactions, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
  • 1X point on all other purchases
  • 10% points bonus with an eligible Bank of America® account

If you're considering applying for an Atmos Rewards card, keep in mind that Bank of America has its own 2/3/4 rule that can affect your eligibility.

The three new Atmos Rewards credit cards on top of a beach chair
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions

Transfer credit card rewards to Atmos Rewards

Until a short time ago, Alaska Airlines didn't partner with any credit card transferable rewards programs. Now, you can earn points on the three Bilt credit cards and transfer Bilt Rewards Points to Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

Bilt Blue Card
Bilt Blue Card
Welcome Bonus $100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved.
Annual Fee

$0Rates & Fees

  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 1X points on everyday spend
Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt Obsidian Card
Welcome Bonus $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved
Annual Fee

$95Rates & Fees

  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
  • 2X points on travel
  • 1X points on everyday spend
Bilt Palladium Card
Bilt Palladium Card
Welcome Bonus 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
Annual Fee

$495Rates & Fees

  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 2X points on everyday spend

Marriott offers several co-branded credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points, which you can then transfer to Atmos Rewards. While these cards aren't the most efficient way to earn Atmos points through everyday spending, their welcome offers can provide a significant boost to your balance.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Welcome Bonus Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Redeem your Free Night Award for a one-night stay at properties with a redemption level up to 50,000 points per night. Certain hotels have resort fees. Special Offer through 6/30/2027: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. That's $50 in statement credits semi-annually.
Annual Fee

$95Rates & Fees

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

  • 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
  • 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
  • 2X points on all other eligible purchases
AmexBonvoyBiz
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Welcome Bonus Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. The Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Resort fees and terms apply. Offer ends 11/4/26.
Annual Fee

$125Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
  • 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Welcome Offer Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points plus a $250 statement credit after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 09/30/2026.
Annual Fee

$650

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

  • 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
  • 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
  • 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
  • 2X points on all other eligible purchases

You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Atmos Rewards at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, for every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred, you'll receive 5,000 bonus Atmos points — meaning 60,000 Bonvoy points become 25,000 Atmos points.

Transfers from Marriott to Alaska typically take about one day.

Earning points by flying Alaska and its partners

Atmos Rewards is also the first airline loyalty program to introduce a choice in how members earn points from flying. Once this feature launches later in 2026, members will be able to choose from three earning methods — and change their selection once per year:

  • Distance traveled: Earn 1 point for every mile flown, which can be especially rewarding on inexpensive long-haul flights.
  • Price paid: Earn 5 points per $1 spent on airfare and eligible upgrades.
  • Segments flown: Earn 500 points per flight segment. Ideal for multiple short trips, like inter-island flights within Hawaii or regional flights within California.

In addition to earning points on Alaska and Hawaiian flights, you can earn Atmos Rewards points when flying with Alaska's airline partners. How many points you earn depends on the partner, fare class, and where you book your ticket.

Partner flights booked through AlaskaAir.com generally earn more, ranging from 100% of the distance flown in economy to 350% in international first class:

Earning on partner flights booked via partner site webpage with rates listed
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Book directly with a partner airline, and earning rates are lower, ranging from 25% in discount economy to 150% in first class:

Earning on partner flights booked on Alaska with rates listed
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Sounds great, right? Not so fast.

Alaska doesn't sell flights from every partner on its website, and the fares it does offer aren't always the cheapest. In some cases, you may find significantly lower fares by booking directly with the partner airline, even if it means earning fewer Atmos points.

Pay close attention to the earning terms before booking a partner flight. Some flights and codeshares aren't eligible to earn Atmos points, depending on factors such as the flight number and operating carrier.

Earn points with travel partners

You can earn Alaska points by renting a car with one of several Alaska Airlines rental car partners. The typical earning rate is 50 points per day, though you can find promotions for up to 2,000 points on certain rentals.

Crediting hotel stays with Alaska Airlines' hotel partners is another way to earn additional points. Offers can be per night or per stay. This is a great option when staying with a chain in which you don't plan to accrue points. However, I would not credit stays from chains I frequent, such as IHG or Marriott. This is because the return for earning hotel points is typically much higher.

Finally, you can earn 1 Atmos point per $1 spent on eligible cruise bookings through Alaska Hawaiian Cruises.

Atmos Rewards shopping portal

The Atmos Rewards shopping portal lets you earn bonus points when shopping online with participating retailers. Earning rates vary but typically range from around 0.5 to 5 points per $1 spent.

Atmos Shopping Portal featured stores
Credit: Alaska Airlines

The portal regularly offers elevated earning rates and spending bonuses. And check our guide to airline shopping portal bonuses to see what's currently available.

Atmos Rewards Dining

You can also earn up to 5 Atmos points per $1 spent through Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Dining. If you dine 11 times within a calendar year, you'll earn VIP status and unlock the highest earning rate for the remainder of the year.

New members can also occasionally earn a limited-time bonus after joining and meeting the offer requirements.

Buying Atmos Rewards points

For many people interested in flying premium cabins with Alaska Airlines partners, buying Atmos Rewards points is a great strategy. You can purchase up to 100,000 Alaska points per transaction, and up to 150,000 points per calendar year. Atmos Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium members have no annual cap when buying points.

Atmos points normally cost $27.50 per 1,000 points, plus a 7.5% tax recovery fee. However, Alaska regularly offers promotions for buying points, with bonuses sometimes reaching 50% or more.

Secure checkout page for buying points with Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Unless you need points immediately, it's generally worth waiting for one of these promotions before buying.

Can you transfer Atmos Rewards points to other people?

Yes, but the cost of moving points is not a great value. Alaska charges $10 per 1,000 points transferred, and there's usually no need to move points to another member since you can use your Atmos points to book an award for someone else.

For example, say you're 7,000 points short of an award. Transferring those points from another member would cost $95, including a $25 handling fee. If there's a buy-points promotion, you may be able to purchase the points you need for a similar price without taking them from someone else's account.

There's one notable exception: Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders have access to free points pooling, which allows up to 10 people to combine their Atmos Rewards points without transfer fees.

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Rules

Anyone can join the free Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards loyalty program. You need to sign up at AlaskaAir.com. To create an account for a child, you'll need to call Alaska at 800-252-7522.

Atmos Rewards points don't expire, so you don't need to periodically earn or redeem points to keep them active. However, travelers can only earn points from flights credited to their own Atmos Rewards accounts.

There's also a useful workaround when booking multiple travelers. If two people each have enough points for their own ticket, you can call Alaska and ask an agent to deduct the required points from each person's account while keeping everyone on the same reservation.

Track your account with AwardWallet

After you've joined Atmos Rewards, add your account to AwardWallet to track your points balance, upcoming trips, progress toward elite status, and other account details in one place.

Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.

Redeeming Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points

Atmos Rewards is arguably one of the most valuable U.S. airline loyalty programs, thanks largely to Alaska's extensive network of airline partners, competitive award pricing, and generous stopover policy.

Value of Alaska points

Points and miles valuations are always subjective, and the value you'll get from Atmos Rewards points depends heavily on how you redeem them. Personally, I try to redeem Alaska points for at least 2 cents each, which is the baseline value I assign them. I've been able to get far more value when booking premium-cabin awards.

Recent AwardWallet user redemptions range from an average of 1.39¢ for domestic economy flights up to 3.98¢ for long-haul flights in premium cabins.

In general, Alaska's domestic and partner economy awards tend to offer less value, while some of the best opportunities are premium-cabin partner awards. We'll highlight a few of our favorite sweet spots below.

Related: How Much Are Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points Worth?

Alaska Airlines partners and award charts

Alaska's membership in the Oneworld alliance, combined with several valuable non-alliance partnerships, gives Atmos Rewards members access to an extensive global network of airline partners.

Alaska's current partner airlines include:

AirlineRedeem PointsEarn Points
Aer LingusYesYes
Aleutian AirwaysNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Air Tahiti NuiYesYes
American AirlinesYesYes
BahamasairNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
British AirwaysYesYes
Cape AirNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Cathay PacificYesYes
CondorYesYes
Contour AirlinesNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Fiji AirwaysYesYes
FinnairYesYes
Hainan AirlinesYesYes
IcelandairYesYes
IberiaYesYes
ITA AirwaysNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Japan AirlinesYesYes
Kenmore AirNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Korean AirYesYes
Malaysia AirlinesYesYes
Mokulele AirlinesNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Oman AirYesYes
Philippine AirlinesYesYes
Porter AirlinesYesYes
QantasYesYes
Qatar AirwaysYesYes
Royal Air MarocYesYes
Royal JordanianYesYes
Singapore AirlinesNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
Southern Airways ExpressNoYes, when booked with Alaska Airlines
SriLankan AirlinesYesYes
StarluxYesYes - but only earns Status Points if booked via Alaska Airlines (tickets still earn redeemable points).

You can find more details about earning and redeeming points with each carrier on the Atmos Rewards partners page.

Alaska Airlines Earn and Redeem Partners including eight different airlines.
Alaska Airlines Earn and Redeem Partners. Credit: Alaska Airlines

How many points you'll need for an award depends on whether you're flying Alaska or one of its partners. Awards on Alaska's own flights are priced based on distance and region, with flights starting at just 5,000 points one way:

Alaska Mileage Plan award chart for flights and their respective redemption rates
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Partner awards use three region- and distance-based award charts. Pricing shown on these charts represents the starting rate for an award.

For travel within and between the Americas:

Distance (miles)Economy
(starting at)
Premium Economy
(starting at)
Business Class
(starting at)
First Class
(starting at)
Less than 700 4,5006,0009,00013,500
701–1,4007,50010,00015,00025,000
1,401–2,10012,50017,50025,00040,000
2,101–4,00017,50022,50035,00052,500
4,001–6,00025,00032,50050,00075,000
6,001 and above30,00040,00060,00090,000

For travel within and between Asia and the Pacific:

Distance (miles)Economy (starting at)Premium Economy (starting at)Business (starting at)First (starting at)
Less than 1,5007,50010,00015,00022,500
1,501–3,00025,00032,50050,00075,000
3,001–5,00030,00040,00060,00090,000
5,001–7,00037,50050,00075,000110,000
7,001–10,00042,50055,00085,000130,000
10,000 and above65,00085,000130,000195,000

And for travel within and between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:

Distance (miles)Economy
(starting at)
Premium Economy
(starting at)
Business Class
(starting at)
First Class
(starting at)
Less than 1,5007,50010,00015,00022,500
1,501–3,50022,50030,00045,00067,500
3,501–5,00027,50035,00055,00082,500
5,001–7,00035,000 45,00070,000105,000
7,001–10,00042,50055,00085,000130,000
10,000 and above55,00072,500110,000165,000

One of my favorite redemptions is flying Condor business class to Frankfurt and beyond. Living in Seattle, I can connect on Alaska to one of Condor's U.S. gateways, fly business class to Frankfurt, add a stopover, and then continue elsewhere in Europe. It's a screaming deal when you can find the award space.

How to search for award space

The easiest way to search for awards with Alaska Airlines and its partners is at AlaskaAir.com. Most partner awards are bookable online, and you can search for one-way, round-trip, or multi-city awards without having to log in.

Search page for award flights with Atmos Rewards
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska's award search engine is generally good at constructing reasonable itineraries, but it can return some unusual routings as it pieces together available award space. For example, a search from Orange County (SNA) to Sydney (SYD) might route you through Seattle and Los Angeles — sending you nearly 1,000 miles in the wrong direction before bringing you back south for your flight overseas.

Beware of mixed-cabin awards

One of the biggest things to watch for is mixed-cabin awards. Alaska's results can combine economy and premium-cabin segments, and there's no way to filter these itineraries out.

Thankfully, Alaska now makes mixed-cabin awards much easier to spot in the search results. You can now see the cabin for each segment displayed below the price:

Award flight results showing Mixed Cabin Awards with Atmos Rewards points
Credit: Alaska Airlines

For awards that aren't available online, call Alaska at 800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522) to have a representative search for space and book over the phone.

A note on award space availability

Alaska's online search shows award space up to 331 days in advance. All program members have the same award availability. There is no increase in inventory for elite members or co-brand cardholders.

Note that the award space that Alaska agents see may be different than the award space you find through another search engine.

Related: How Far in Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets?

Booking fees and other rules

Alaska doesn't charge change or cancellation fees on most award tickets. There are a few other award fees to understand, though:

  • Same-day change/cancellation fee: $50 for eligible Main Cabin and first-class tickets. Saver fares are also eligible for same-day confirmed changes for a fee but aren't eligible for same-day standby.
  • Partner award fee: $40 ($20 per direction)
  • Call center booking fee: $30

The partner award fee applies when booking awards on one of Alaska's global partners. The fee is non-refundable. This is the case even if you later cancel the ticket and redeposit the points. The only way out of this partner booking fee is by holding the Atmos Summit Visa Card, which includes a fee waiver.

The call center booking fee only applies if you book over the phone. Alaska Atmos Gold or higher elites do not pay call center booking fees.

Finally, make sure to cancel an award before departure if your plans change. If you miss your flight without canceling, you'll forfeit the points used to book it.

Some surcharges are passed along

Alaska Airlines does not charge additional fees for awards on its own aircraft, aside from the TSA fee and any other departure fees for Alaska's international destinations. However, some partner awards include fuel surcharges and other fees.

British Airways awards are particularly notorious, with taxes and fees sometimes exceeding $800 on a one-way business-class award. Other partners charge much less, making it worth comparing your options before booking.

Add a stopover to an award

Alaska's routing rules are one of my favorite features of its award program. Why? In one word: stopovers.

Alaska allows one stopover on a one-way international award, meaning you can visit an additional destination without booking a separate award. On partner awards, stopovers generally need to be in the partner airline's hub or another eligible city.

To book an award with a stopover, use Alaska's multi-city search and enter each segment separately.

Booking stopovers page with Atmos Rewards
Credit: Alaska Airlines

In some cases, searching for two one-way awards with a stopover individually will return better results (or simply work), rather than searching for a round-trip award with two stopovers.

Related: How To Add a Free Stopover Using Alaska Airlines Points

Best Atmos Rewards sweet spots

We won't be listing every Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards redemption that provides top value, but we'd like to highlight what we think are the best. In general, Alaska has specific partners with great premium cabin award rates. You can also find massive value on business class flights to Europe and on some Japan Airlines flights.

A few of our favorite one-way redemptions include:

  • American Airlines business class from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR) for as few as 45,000 Atmos points
    • You can also fly British Airways and Aer Lingus for the same price — but mind the fees!
  • Finnair business class from New York (JFK) to Tallinn (TLL), with a stopover in Helsinki (HEL) for 55,000 Atmos points
  • Condor business class from Minneapolis (MSP) to Split (SPU), with a stopover in Frankfurt (FRA) for 55,000 Atmos points
  • Japan Airlines business class from Seattle (SEA) or Vancouver (YVR) to Tokyo (HND/NRT) for 60,000 Atmos points
  • Qatar Airways Qsuite from New York (JFK) to Male (MLE) via Doha (DOH) for 85,000 Atmos points

These are just a few of the best uses of Alaska points. Most of these are very competitive with the pricing you can find with other programs.

Related: The Best Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Award Chart Sweet Spots

Other ways to redeem Alaska points

Award flights are generally the best use of Atmos Rewards points, but you have a few other redemption options.

For example, you can redeem points for Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences, including concert and sporting event tickets, travel packages, and food and wine experiences. Some can provide unique opportunities, although redemption values vary considerably.

Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders can also transfer Atmos points to several hotel loyalty programs:

Not all of these transfers provide great value, but more options are always welcome.

How To Earn Atmos Rewards Elite Status

Atmos Rewards offers a competitive elite status program, with perks ranging from free checked bags and complimentary upgrades to bonus points and other benefits.

Unlike most major U.S. airline programs, Atmos Rewards doesn't require members to meet a specific spending threshold to earn status. That can make it an especially attractive program for frequent Alaska flyers and those based on the West Coast.

Atmos Rewards elite status requirements

Atmos Rewards has four elite status tiers with the following qualification requirements:

Atmos Rewards TierMileage Plan TierOneworld Status Equivalent
Atmos Silver (20K)MVPRuby
Atmos Gold (40K)MVP GoldSapphire
Atmos Platinum (80K)MVP Gold 75KEmerald
Atmos Titanium (135K)MVP Gold 100KEmerald

You can earn status points by flying Alaska, Hawaiian, and eligible partner airlines. As discussed above, Atmos Rewards is also rolling out the ability to choose whether you earn based on distance flown, the price of your ticket, or the number of segments you fly. Once that feature launches, earning rates on premium-cabin partner flights booked outside AlaskaAir.com will improve as well.

One important exception: Alaska Saver fares no longer earn Atmos Rewards points or status points, although the miles flown still count toward Million Miler lifetime status.

Earn status points on award travel

A new and positive development is the ability to earn status points on award tickets when redeeming your Atmos points. You'll earn 1 status point for every mile flown. For example, a flight from Seattle to London clocks in at 4,800 miles, meaning that if you redeemed your Atmos points for a flight, no matter the cabin of service, you'll earn 4,800 status points for that redemption.

Earn status points with credit cards

Atmos Rewards credit cards offer another path toward elite status. You'll earn 1 status point for every $3 spent on purchases with the Atmos Ascent Visa Card and Atmos Visa Business Card, while the Atmos Summit Visa Card earns 1 status point for every $2 spent.

There's no annual cap on the number of status points you can earn through credit card spending, meaning it's possible to earn Atmos Rewards elite status without ever stepping on a plane.

Atmos Rewards milestone awards

You don't have to wait until you earn elite status to unlock extra perks. Atmos Rewards offers milestone rewards beginning at 10,000 status points, with additional rewards available as you reach higher thresholds.

Alaska-Airlines-Atmos-Milestones-and-Status-Tiers-750x242

Depending on the milestone, you can choose from perks such as bonus Atmos points, upgrade certificates, Alaska Lounge passes, status for yourself or someone else, rollover status points, and discounts on Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences.

Atmos Rewards Elite Status Benefits

Alaska Airlines' elite status provides its frequent fliers with a vast array of perks. From free checked bags to complimentary upgrades and bonus redeemable points, earning Alaska Airlines elite status can be well worth it.

BenefitAtmos Silver (Oneworld Ruby)Atmos Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)Atmos Platinum (Oneworld Emerald)Atmos Titanium (Oneworld Emerald)
Bonus points earning25%50%100%150%
Premium class upgrades for you and a companion at time of booking if U space is availableY, B, or H faresY, B, H, K, M, L, V, S or N faresAll fares except Saver (X) All fares except Saver (X)
First class upgrades for you and a companion if U space is availableY or B faresY, B, H, or K faresY, B, H, K, or M faresY, B, H, K, or M fares
First and business class upgrades on day of travel for you and a companion for all global flightsYes
Premium class upgrades on day of travel for you and a companion for all global flightsYesYesYesYes
Preferred seating for you and all companions (except on Saver fares)YesYesYesYes
Complimentary same-day flight changesYesYesYes
Free drink or chocolate on Alaska Airlines flights over 250 milesYesYesYes
Free drink on Hawaiian Airlines flights 
over 250 milesYesYesYes
Free meal when flying economyYes
Free checked baggage1 bag for you and up to 6 companions2 bags for you and up to 6 companions3 bags for you and up to 6 companions3 bags for you and up to 6 companions
Preferred boardingGroup BGroup AGroup APriority
Priority bagsYesYesYes
Priority check-in and security screeningYesYesYesYes
Access to oneworld business class lounges for you and a guest on international flights (excludes U.S., Canada, and Mexico flights)YesYesYes
Access to oneworld first class lounges for you and a guest on international flights (excludes U.S., Canada, and Mexico flights)YesYes
Priority call center routingYesYesYesYes
Status protect for new parents (to retain Atmos status earned for an extra year while on parental leave)YesYesYesYes
Access to Icelandair Saga Lounge in Keflavík International Airport (KEF) for you and a guestYesYesYes

Some of the most valuable benefits are complimentary upgrades, bonus points on eligible flights, and free checked bags. Upper-tier elites also unlock additional perks, including Titanium Global Upgrades.

Titanium Global Upgrades

Atmos Titanium members — plus one companion on the same reservation — are eligible for complimentary Titanium Global Upgrades to international business or first class when space is available.

Unlike Alaska's standard complimentary upgrades, Titanium Global Upgrades don't clear until the day of departure, so they're far from guaranteed. You'll also need to proactively join the upgrade waitlist to take advantage of the benefit.

Lounge access

Atmos Rewards elites have several ways to access Alaska Lounges, depending on their status, itinerary, and milestone benefits. Members can also purchase an Alaska Lounge or Lounge+ membership, with the latter providing access to nearly 90 partner lounges.

Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders receive eight Alaska Lounge passes each year, issued as two passes per quarter.

Related: How To Save on an Alaska Airlines Lounge Membership

Atmos Rewards lifetime status

Alaska offers a lifetime status program. There are two tiers, with straightforward qualifications:

  • Fly 1 million qualifying miles to earn Atmos Gold status for life.
  • Fly 2 million qualifying miles to earn Atmos Platinum status for life

Only qualifying miles flown on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines count toward Million Miler status, so earning it requires some serious loyalty.

Alaska Airlines status match

If you're interested in making the switch to Alaska Airlines, you can ease the pain of qualification by requesting an Alaska Airlines status match. Alaska Airlines has a dedicated elite status match page, where you can provide info on your current status level with another program.

Approved members receive matched Atmos Rewards status for 90 days, with the opportunity to extend it by earning a set number of base points on Alaska and Hawaiian flights. Timing matters, too: Complete a status match challenge started between July and December, and you can keep your status through the end of the following calendar year.

Alaska only allows one status match per member, so it's worth being strategic about when you use it.

Bottom Line

Atmos Rewards remains one of our favorite airline loyalty programs, particularly for travelers who can take advantage of Alaska's network and valuable airline partners. Between flexible ways to earn points and elite status, valuable premium-cabin partner awards, and the ability to add stopovers to international awards, there's plenty to like.

The program isn't perfect — especially if Alaska's route network doesn't work for you — but Atmos points remain well worth earning for the right traveler.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Bilt Blue Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Obsidian Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)

Tip of The Day
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Screenshot showing how to order an AwardWallet OneCard through the AwardWallet dashboard

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